Netflix adds BBC Worldwide content for UK and Irish subscribers

Streaming video service Netflix has reached an agreement with BBC Worldwide to bring content to subscribers in Ireland and the UK, the company announced today.

In October, Netflix announced that it was launching its streaming video service to the UK and Ireland in early 2012. The BBC content deal is part of the company’s effort to compete with Amazon-owned competitor LoveFilm. The company also signed a multi-year licensing agreement with MGM Studios in November for exclusive streaming content rights.

BBC Worldwide content, which is currently available to Netflix subscribers in the US, includes popular British televisions series like Torchwood, Spooks, Doctor Who, Little Britain, Sherlock and more.

It’s unclear how big of a impact the BBC Worldwide content deal will have on Netflix, since much of the country has access to the BBC iPlayer, which stores much of the same content online for a short period of time. Yet, there is something to be said for keeping the content library as complete as possible. People are creatures of habit — meaning if you primarily use Netflix for watching videos, there’s a good chance you won’t look elsewhere for content.